Heater



C. S. FRANKE Jan. 16, 1934.

HEATER Filed Aug. 24. 1931 63W: (24 Ravi c5 5. FPA NKE) units from the ceiling of Patented Jan. 16, 1934 PATENT OFFICE HEATER Clarence S. Franke, St.

Louis, Mo., assignor to American Furnace Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application August 24, 1931. Serial No. 558,920 I 6 Claims.

This invention pertains to heaters, and more particularly to that type of heater which may be applied to the heating of factories and similar buildings by suspending one or more heating the room to be heated.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a heating unit of simple design adapted for automatic thermostatic operation and which may be quickly put into operation when required.

Another object is to provide such a heater with means for controlling the circulation of air therethrough so as to insure rapid and eflicient heating thereof.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heating unit embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective side view with one side removed so as to show the interior structure, and

Figure 3 is a partial transverse vertical section of the heating unit.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a casing which may be constructed of sheet iron or other suitable material. Mounted within the casing l, is a heating element 2. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the element 2 is represented as a gas fired heater comprising a plurality of assembled sections having vertical fins to assist radiation. The fuel is supplied by a pipe 3 which enters the front of the unit through the casing. The element 2 may be of any suitable construction well known in the art. It may be equipped for automatic operation in any well known manner. In the drawing, 4 represents a suitable automatic fuel controlling device operated by a thermostat suitably placed in the room to be heated.

The element may be mounted upon legs 6, which in turn rest upon a base structure '7 of any suitable type. The base 7 also carries a blower 8, so arranged as to draw air downwardly through the casing and exhaust the same through a suitable outlet 9. The blower 8 may be provided on the outside of the casing with a pulley 10, driven by a motor 11. The motor may be controlled by an automatic starting device 12, connected with a thermostat 5, mounted within the casing so that the motor is started when the temperature within the casing reaches a predetermined value.

The base structure 7 may be suspended by rods 13, or other suitable members, from the ceiling or rafters of the room which is to be heated. This puts the unit in the upper portion of the room so that the heated air may be discharged downwardly therefrom.

The upper part of the casing 1 is provided with one or more air inlet openings 14. Each of these openings is provided with a door 15, pivoted in the opening in such a manner as to close by gravity. These doors are, therefore, adapted to close the air inlets 14 when the device is idle. When so closed the natural circulation of air upwardly through the casing is prevented.

In operation this heater is suitably suspended in a convenient place in the room to be heated and is connected for automatic operation by a room thermostat through the controllng device 4 in any well known manner. When the room temperature falls to the pointat which a further supply of heat is required, the device 4 starts the operation of the heating unit. The element 2, therefore, becomes heated so that the temperature within the casing is raised. The circulation of air through the casing does not, however, commen'ce immediately. The motor 11 is not started to operate the blower 8 until the temperature within the casing has reached a point sufficient to operate the thermostat 5. Accordso ingly circulation through the casing is prevented while the element 2 is insufliciently heated and consequently the circulation of cold air or air not sufiiciently heated through the heater and into the room is avoided.

As soon as, the temperature within the casing reaches the required point, the thermostat 5 cperates to start the motor 11 and the blower 8. The action of the blower 8 exhausts the air from the casing and blows it out at the outlet 9. The consequent suction within the casing operates to open the doors 15 inwardly, thereby admitting new air into the casing. This air passes downwardly through the casing in contact with the element 2, becomes heated thereby and is then passed out at the outlet 9. It will be noted that since the element is fired at the bottom hereof, the upper portion of the element will not be so highly heated as the lower portion adjacent the flame. Accordingly the air passing through the casing impinges first upon the upper or cooler portion of the element 2 and passes downwardly toward the hotter portion. Thus the flow of air is from the cooler to the hotter portion of the heating unit so that the eificiency of the transmission of heat is high.

When the room temperature has reached the required point the device 4 stops the operation of the heating unit while the blower continues to operate until the temperature in the casing is reduced to a predetermined value whereupon the thermostat 5 operates to stop the blower. It will be noted therefore, that all of the heat developed ture of the element 2 has been raised to a proper value avoids the circulation of insufilciently heated air. Accordingly the operation of the unit is reduced to the shortest time consistent with the required heating and economy is realized thereby. A further factor in the economy of operation is the fact that the blower continues to operate after the heater has been shut off so as to utilize the heat of the heated element to the utmost extent.

This device may also be applied to domestic heating by mounting the heater in some available attic space and conducting the heated air from the heater outlet to the various rooms to be heated by means of pipes. Cold air return pipes may be arranged to open into the rooms near the floor level and to discharge into the attic space in which the heater is located. The operation of the heater will suck the cold air up these latter pipes and return the heated air to the rooms thru the hot air pipes.

While this device has been described as a unitary structure, it will be clear that individual features or sub-combinations thereof may-be useful of themselves without reference to other features. It is understood that the employment of such individual features or sub-combinations is contemplated by this invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

It is further obvious that various changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the specific details shown and/or described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A heater, comprising, a casing, a heating element therein, means for forcing air downwardly through said casing, and means operating in accordance with the operation of said air forcing means for preventing upward circulation of 'air through said casing while permitting downward circulation therethrough.

2. A heater, comprising, a casing, a heating element therein, means for forcing air downwardly through said casing, means for preventing upward circulation of air through said casing, and means controlling the operation of said air-forcing means in accordance with the temperature in said casing;

3. A heater, comprising, a casing, a heating element therein, means for suspending said casing from a support, an air inlet at the upper part of said casing, an air outlet at the lower part of said casing, means for moving air downwardly through said casing, and a closure for said air inlet adapted to prevent upward movement of air therethrough.

4. A heater, comprising, a casing, a heating element therein, means for suspending said casing from a support, an air inlet at the upper part of said casing, an air outlet at the lower part of said casing, means for moving air downwardly through said casing, and a door hinged in said inlet to be closed by gravity.

5. A heater, comprising, a casing, a heating element mounted in the upper part of said casing, a blower in the lower part of said casing, an air inlet in the upper part of said casing, an air outlet in the lower part of said casing, a self-closing door adapted to prevent upward movement of air through said casing, and means for operating said blower to move air in at said inlet, downwardly through said casing and out at said outlet.

6. A heater, comprising, a casing,a heating element mounted in the upper part of said casing, a blower in the lower part of said casing, an air inlet in the upper part of said casing, an air outlet in the lower part of said casing, a self-closing door adapted to prevent upward movement of air through said casing, and means actuated in accordance with the temperature in said casing 

